Deal Breaker
by lazarus wolf
Summary: What if Lucien failed to kill either Sparrow or Rose. They never bothered to check; just paid Reaver to dump her body. But, being him, well - he waits a few years, 'deflowers' her... gets a surprise - a 'bonifidey' hero son. who hates him.But when SCROM rises to take Albion for killing his pet - THE CRAWLER - he may have the only means to stop him - one of two - true heroes.
1. Night of the Shattered Window

The town guards knew better than to mess with Lord Luciens' men as they watched the seven impeccably uniformed men carrying the rolled up carpet from the castle. It was none of their business, that it was obviously the poorly covered body of some unfortunate; that that body was much too small to be the body of an adult; that the unmistakable scent of gunpowder still lingered about it, none of their business - unless they wanted to be rolled up in that carpet with that poor soul.

The men standing on the pier however couldn't have cared less who they were, they had gold, period.

"Is this the 'carpet' you want us to bag?" a man with half an ear asked as the first of Luciens men approached.

"Shut up!," Luciens man ordered harshly.

"Gold first," half ear said deadpan, "then you can talk to us like that." They counted out one hundred gold coins. Half ear smiled a gold toothed grin, "we should have gotten into furniture moving."

"Lord Lucien paid you.. now , he wants it dumped far out to sea, and weighted."

"One hundred gold for a carpet, astonishing; perhaps we should have a look at so rare a weave," The man who said it was beautiful( to say that, in fact, was an insult, a demeaning of the word, HE was astonishing), a male representation of a woman's portrait, one who had at one time been the focal point of the admiration of men all over Albion; he was the living image of his mother... He was 'Reaver': the abandond, bastard born son of Lady E. Grey and Jack of Blades.

"Mister," Luciens man said, as he and his fellows drew their pistols, "You are one sorry son of a bitch."

"Half right," Reaver said, and pulled out a large calibre multi round pistol called he Dragon Stomper Forty Eight, and shot dead all seven of Luciens men before they knew he had a gun.

"What we get for them Captain?" half ear asked.

"Five gold a peace," Reaver said as he strode forward, "but he doesn't care where we dump them, so much the better. Now pick them clean and lets be gone."

The men did as told, and grabbed the weapons, gold, boots, gold teeth of the fallen men, then picked up the carpet and hopped aboard their skiff.

Hours later, The Sea called for it, the place was deep, and the weight was set on the bow of 'THE REAVER', time to earn the gold.

The first mate kicked the carpet as he and another deck hand picked it up... and the carpet kicked back.

They dropped it, and SHE spilled out on the deck, all pig-tails, poor clothes, bullet holes and bloodstains. Her eyes wild, scared, enraged, "Who are you? Where am I? WHERE IS MY BROTHER?!"

The first mate grabbed her, his last mistake. She was as quick as lightning, almost inhuman, she pulled his pistol and sword from his belt before his hands could close, and found his own blade in his gut as she slid behind him. 'I could have taken him you know'.

He grabbed for his intestines as they spilled across the deck and she ended the rest of the crew in equally rapid fashion.

The last deck hand fell as he scrambled for a fallen pistol, useless in his hands as they trembled in terror before she severed them with a swing of the cutlass he never saw.

The lightning struck the high mast as the last fell, and she dropped to her knees, her eyes rolled back her head "SPARROW!" She shrieked.

Then, the impossible. The girl rose off the deck as if lifted by an unseen hand, held static with the movement of the ship. The bodies of the fallen men convulsed, then a strange stream of energy, visible to the eye rose from the bodies and reached out to the girl, filled her body as it was shook by a torrent of unseen power that flooded her entire being, and made her glow as bright as a sun. Her eyes glowed, gaped wide as she screamed, not from a place of pain... but unimaginable power.

The gun was in her hand, loaded, aimed and cocked before his hand could touch his Dragon Stomper. For the first time in his five centuries Reaver was impressed, "Well, that's something one doesn't see every day, even me." His men, twelve in all, dead, all in different places on the deck, and all killed in ten seconds by a frightened, sprig of a girl.

"I have no intention of hurting you," she said evenly, "just tell me where I am, and where is my brother"

"I honestly have no idea," Reaver said in happy astonishment, "I only know that the fool who tried to kill you, perhaps did so to your brother. That man has an army, let me help you to get somewhere safe, and maybe I can help find out the truth of your brother."

She looked at him, his handsome face, his obvious nervous reaction to her, "Sorry about your men," she said softly, and blushed as he smiled at her.

"Nonsense,," he said happily, with a flourish of his hand, "Aside from the small fee to wash the sails... you just saved me a great deal of gold. I mean really, it served them right for picking on so lovely a young woman as yourself. I dare say you remind me of the remarks once made of my own mother."

She smiled, "Was she a beautiful woman?"

"Some would say, but not nearly as remarkable, or even remotely as sweet as you."

She lowered her gun. She liked him.

He noticed, this rare flower was quite the find, worth the time to prune with care, "I'm Reaver," he said as he took her hand and bowed his head.

"I'm Rose," she said and curtsied.

"course you are," he said and lightly gave her hand the first of many kisses he would use to ultimately earn her bed ten years from this night, a moment that will change not only her life, but will accomplish... the impossible. It would breach his contract with shadow; but it is a deal breaker that might one day save Albion from the master of darkness himself - Scrom.


	2. The Black Rose

Bowerstone - Seventy Years Later.

It was three years since the Crawler was defeated, and the streets were filled with elated citizenry, not just for the overabundance of food and drink spilled into the public domain by the castle, but the return of the Queen Mother.

She had left shortly after Logan's coronation, lost in depression over the loss of her husband, with no promise of a reunion in the nether world - she was immortal: a reborn legendary beauty who gave him all her heart, four remarkable children, and in return was ageless for all time, and cursed to watch all she loved grow old and die.

The armada that was her escort arrived on the newly built docks off of the main gate leading to the now posh old town district. Such an event drew everyone, from all corners of Albion to the streets, even the common people s of Aurora came out to see her, the breathtaking beauty who was once known as Lady Grey, now called simply, with undying love, by all - Our Lady.

The Queen, hero of the battle for Albion, and Logan, the brother she spared, stood on the dias as their mother stepped into the light of day and waved to the gathered crowd, fronted by the orphans of the Bowerstone House. A collective sigh greeted her as she smiled at them.

Logan almost wept as he stepped to her, "Mother, I don't know what to say... I wasn't ready, I'm not father. I disgraced his name." he said solemnly as he knelt before her.

The crowd held its breath... was she still their Lady?

She knelt beside her son, and kissed him.

They exploded in applause. He had fought valiantly at the Battle For Albion, and regained their love, and respect. He had defended the orphans shelter, front and center against all comers. Long after the last of his men had fallen against the tidal wave of the darkness that engulfed the Industrial center of Bowerstone; long after the population had been evacuated, he fought on, bleeding from a dozen wounds he fought, buying them all precious minutes till his sister killed the Crawler. He did nothing to his father's name but immortalize it's bloodline in the hearts of the people. Sparrow was now not dearly loved for saving the land from Lucian, but beloved for the two of his offspring that chose to wear the crown.

"Not from what I heard," his mother said with a smile, "and get off your knee, you'll ruin your pants."

The crowd continued its applause as the Queen Mother helped her son to his feet, gestured to the Queen and all three embraced; a natural, human interaction that the queen mother insisted upon when in public. The populace adored her for it. She had been incapable of keeping her hands off Sparrow when they had made public appearances, and it was even harder for her to resist when Logan and his sister came, and the public would go nuts.

"Where are my grandchildren?," she called, and the prince and princess of Albion ran from a group of guards to be crushed to the ample busom of, and smothered in kisses by their grandmother; the crowd got even louder.

She rose to standing, and adjusted her top, "I swear they've gotten bigger," she called out, a double entendre referring more to her beautiful, ample breasts which were as legendary as her remarkable face, as it was to the two lovely grandchildren she had never actually seen. The crowd laughed with her in her embarrassment; and yet all remarked, she still had it, she was still the temptress. The men still drooled, even as they gazed in loving adoration. Ben Finn was far from the exception. Part of his considerable hero-worship of Sparrow was his lust of his queen. But for all his bravado and skills with the women of Albion, with one or two exceptions,... he was no match for her. He was dumbstruck and rendered speechless in her presence - much to Pages delight.

"Mother," the Queen said as they approached the group of gathered dignitaries, "I would like you to meet my good friend and one of the many heroes of the battle or Albion, General Ben Finn."

Lady Grey stepped to him: her breasts jiggled alluringly, her hips rolled seductively... his jaw dropped instantly. "General Finn," she said with a flawless smile, "I hear your quite the ladies man? You know, I am a widow."

All he could manage to do was gape, and stutter weakly, "Oh my... lady, I am... oh my, I..., I..., I... Hi?"

She smiled wider, "You have red on you," she whispered to him as she caressed his cheek and passed.

Logan glared at him, then laughed as Finn continued to stare straight ahead, star struck.

Page applauded loudly, and smiled, placed a hand on Finn's shoulder and slapped him out of it, "Well, that went about as expected, well-played, have you any luck?"

He blushed and laughed, "Come on, it's Lady Grey. Not a tavern wench."

She smiled at him and punched him in the arm, "Hey, how about I let you get me drunk and see if you can improve your average... ."

He grinned, "You mean it?"

"With a tavern wench"

"Ok," he said and put a brotherly arm around her waist, "I bet I can get you so drunk You wind up with a tavern wench."

"Depends on the tavern."

Further down the parade route stood Reaver. He watched as the crowd opened for his mother, and smiled as he saw her face, and she saw him.

Logan glared at Reaver as his step-brother approached. "Heel spot," he hissed.

Lady Grey glared momentarily at Reaver, then smiled to the crowd as she approached him

"Mother," he called out as both of his step siblings glared at him. They both hated being reminded of the fact that it was their adored mother's feelings of guilt over abandoning him that was the sole reason he still drew breath.

The Queen Mother kissed her son and held him long enough to whisper, "Word in Sanmarkand is that I'm not the only one interested in rare roses - Reginald Arthur Grey."

He looked her in the eyes, nervous.

"Once I work this adoring, drooling crowd of slack-jawed gawkers some more - Reggy - I want you to come to the castle to see me, I understand there will be a party; we have so much to catch up on."

"Mother."

"See you there boy." She walked away, leaving her son to stare after her. Just how much did she know? and how fast could he get out of Albion before his sister and brother found out. Immortality is nice, if you don't spend it in a cell; or more likely, on the rack.


	3. The Grey Woman

(Don't worry, she doesn't stay this way... it's just temporary)

The Queen Mother stood in the war room, and stared at her own portrait from five centuries ago, and frowned at the look in the eyes.

Reaver entered, and removed his hat, something he never did, even in his sister, the Queen's, presence.

"I hate this portrait," His mother said. She turned to him, tears in her lovely, lineless eyes.

He reactively moved toward her: in spite of himself, he did love her.

And she knew it, "Please, I'm ok. It's good to hate yourself sometimes. You are in this portrait. Look in my eyes, see the vanity? That reprehensible self-love? My sweet boy... it is all I gave you."

"You were strong mother," he said in defiance of her self loathing, "I see nothing there to be anything but proud of."

"I abandoned an innocent child for my own ambitions, my lust for power, my lust. My dear Reaver, there is nothing in us to love but what we do for others. I was adored for my body, and that is all I found value in... till it was torn asunder, not in lust but over it."

"And it was lust that brought you back."

"IT WAS A SICK OBSESSION WITH POSSESSING MY BODY THAT BROUGHT ME BACK! The Grave digger? He was in love with HER!," She pointed to the portrait, "An idealized image of me, not with me. Sparrow took pity, and remained."

"Don't think so highly of my former partners impulses in the matter of you mother."

"He had bore me a segmented corpse to that poor damaged man... I don't count him a degenerate of That magnitude. Which, my poor boy, is more than I can say for you... or me. I used to ravage the Arena champions while the blood and gore still stuck to their skin... it excited me beyond the joy of the sex. Hell, both of your brothers were conceived ON the steps of the Crucible after Sparrow broke his own records; if Walter lived he could confirm it."

"My sisters were not mother, and neither is anything like their brother's.. or me. The first one rejected the throne for a simple married life to the Tavern owner in Bloodstone."

"Think of what you just said... she runs Bloodstone, from your opulent manor she was raised in as a babe before we moved to Fairfax Castle. She missed the place... the blood, the intrigue, the dark streets, and she got a taste for it as a child."

"And from what I understand shes cleaning it up. You raised four remarkable children. My other brother is a hero in his own right, he's all but killed every Cracken in the seas."

"Destroying an entire species."

"You need to stop this mother... we need to. The others ARE decent, not monsters, and they came from your womb."

"So did you... Reaver," she gasped and collapsed into a chair, and sobbed, "and to think of what I did to make you into what you became... those poor people of Oakvale."

"AND WHAT OF THE SEED OF MY WORTHLESS FATHER?! Jack of Fucking Blades! He seduced a lovely young woman: he ravaged her, destroyed her mind, corrupted her soul and used her body to manipulate the entire world of Albion all for a fucking pig sticker!"

She smiled through her tears, "There is nobility in you. my sweet boy."

"And most definitely in you," he said and knelt before her, took her hands in his own, and smiled at her, "Hello pretty lady. Would you accompany me to a party in your honor?"

"Ok," she said nodded, and kissed him lightly on the lips, "I'll be the envy of all the men and women of Albion"

"As will I."

"Is she pretty? Your Rose, my Sparrows sister?"

"She is the rarest of flowers, to which I am a thorn. She has been my only redemption in this endless life... I couldn't let anyone know, I couldn't let her be at risk for having been loved by me."

"Nobility in a pirate... all so very romantic. I wonder which face is the real you my darling Reginald Grey - forgive me - 'REAVER'. Either way, lying to protect me, or being a dashing hero as point of fact... you are noble. it is Such a brilliant disguise you've wore all these years... the heartless rogue."

"Don't let it fool you mother, I'm still under contract with... them"

"I think it's Alvo's will. You had to be there to stop Lucian... it was your destiny. Oh I do, I truly do love you, my sweet boy, I always have. I just never thought to talk about it with you. It wasn't shame of you... it was my shame of myself for walking away from you, my beautiful boy.."

Reaver took his mother by the hand and out into the main hall to all, where the world they knew was about to sink into darkness.


	4. Party Crasher - Scrom Rising

Reaver and Lady Grey walked into the throne room hand in hand to joyous applause, the Queen stood, seeing her mother's eyes had only just been crying, she shot a look at Reaver who escorted their mother to the throne.

"Fret not majesty," he said calmly, "Old memories, nothing more."

Lady Grey kissed her daughter again and touched her face, "you look radiant darling, I see your father's strength in your eyes."

The queen smiled, "Thank you mother." The two turned to the gathered dignitaries as the prince and princess stormed in to the delight of the crowd, and their grandmother.

"What? Oh these are the most remarkably beautiful Hobbes I've ever seen, quick, call the guards!," Lady Grey shouted.

Logan feigned fear as they hid behind him. All was bright and joyous, until the 'entertainment' arrived.

Lady Grey 'felt' him as he entered, the tall, gaunt man in the long, purple, red, and shimmering black robes.

Reaver instinctively reached for his sidearm.

The man turned and looked at him with hooded eyes, and grinned, "Mr. Reaver, it's been... too long," the thunderously deep voice sighed.

"MOTHER! GET THE CHILDREN!," Reaver screamed and drew his Dragon Stomper.

"Scrom," Lady Grey whispered, "DON'T!, YOU FORGET 'WHAT' HE IS!" She shouted

It was too late, Reaver emptied the powerful pistol, five rounds into the man... killing the ten people standing directly behind him.

The Queen ran at the figure, her gauntlet red as the sun.

"ELIZABETH!," Lady Grey cried in anguish, "NO!"

The man grabbed the Queen's wrist and snatched away the gauntlet as if it were a glove, and with his other hand clutched her face.

The guards opened fire, killing all the guards and guests on the opposite side of the room. The dignitaries from Aurora grab the prince and princess and run out the door.

Logan lunged at Scrom and was slapped to the floor, unconscious.

Ben Finn attempted to rescue the Queen, but was dragged aside... by Reaver.

"DON'T BE A FOOL, NOT EVEN I COULD WOUND HIM! THERE IS NOTHING TO BE DONE ...HERE!"

"COWARD! THAT IS THE QUEEN, SHE SPARED YOU!"

"NO, THAT IS MY SISTER, AND MY MOTHER; BUT IF WE DON'T LEAVE HERE NOW, HE WINS, AND THEIR LOSS IS MEANINGLESS!"

"The Queen Mother?!," Finn muttered.

"GO!," Reaver shouted, and pulled Finn out the door.

Lady Grey dropped to her knees, "Please, Leave her. You have the gauntlet, she can't hurt you... please, not my daughter."

Scrom grinned, "Hello my dearest Black Rose, how we have missed you." He grabbed the Queen's head in both hands, "so many lights have you extinguished, hero. MY PET! WHY? What of this world does not dserve to be consumed by darkness? MY PET! MY INSTRUMENT... MY CRAWLER!"

"TAKE ME!," Lady Grey pleaded, "PLEASE LEAVE HER, AND TAKE ME! I BEG YOU! "

"So much misery to savor," Scrom sighed, and began siphoning the young Queen's essence, taking her experiences, drawing away her life force.

"NO! TAKE ME! TAKE ME! NOT MY BABY! PLEASE! I BEG YOU PLEASE DON'T! PLEASE...," and then...

Scrom dropped the Queen to the floor.

Lady Grey rushed to her daughter and blew uselessly into her lungs, pounded her unmoving chest and roared in anguish, and rage, "Kill me!," she wiped away her tears and set him with her icy gaze, "Do it. Or if I have to live ten thousand years I'll find a way to make you regret this day Scrom!"

"Oh your anguish is so sweet my dear Lady Mayor," He said as he touched her face, "How don't you deserve this? Do you not remember YOUR mother's daughter? YOUR SISTER? So like you to forget the 'little people'."

"I know what I am," She said through clenched teeth as she clutched her daughter to her breasts, "I know what I've done, what I am responsible for... But I will none the less live to hear you beg, will live to see you on your knees, this the last time you see me so. I swear it!"

"Get your rag dolls off my floor, whore, give her to her father, they were worth about the same to their people."

Lady Grey picked up her daughter, and grabbed Logan's hand.

"Such strength," Scrom laughed as she dragged her son out the side door as she carried the Queen on her shoulder.

"You will come to know it well."

"I do like your rage," Scrom said and tossed her the gauntlet, "Good luck."

Once out the door she slammed it shut, layed the Queen down, and slapped Logan till he came too.

"Mother," he started, tears in his eyes as they fell on his sister.

"NOT one tear, you hear me? This family is through being noble, done being soft. He want's to break my heart, and live withe pain without paying for it? He forgot... I'm immortal, he should live so long. Logan, remember who you are, who they all know you to be... MY son, true as the day you were born. He shouldn't have let me live and took your sister in my stead. Go to Aurora, save who you can, get them under that sun, reorganize our troops, get them ready or kill them all - it'll be merciful compared to what he'll do. Deny him the satisfaction of killing our men."

"What of you mother?"

"I'll be where I belong... with my daughter. Fret not for me boy... he won't kill me, he'll never be that kind. His mistake. Now go! There may be hope yet... your aunt is alive... YOUR FATHER'S SISTER. She had a child with your brother, Reaver. Reaver's father... was Jack of Blades. I almost pity Scrom facing THAT man.


	5. BENN FINN OF THE DEAD

Reaver and Benn Finn sprinted from the castle as the first of the balverines sprang from the sewers, prodded by the creatures of Shadow that Scrom had coaxed into existence with the aid of the panicking crowds.

Finn had only heard of the rogue next to him and his proficience with the Dragon Stomper, but to see it - in the defense of the citizens of Bowerstone - was mesmerizing. Reaver dropped the hammer so fast it was as if the gun hummed till it's barrel glowed. He never saw the man reload, just saw the Balverines fall, their heads and claws exploding into a furry red mist as he delivered his own redemption in the eyes of the man beside him. It gave Finn hope.

"Impressive!," It was Scrom, from the entrance to the castle, "As futile as your mother's empty threats, but impressive."

"We'll get you back to playing with your fucking dog 'the crawler' soon enough," Finn spat, "We'll teach you both how to roll over!... play dead!," his hands worked his rifle with an accomplished musicians dexterity, "And MY PERSONAL favorite... CATCH!" He fired round after round at the entrance of the castle; not at Scrom, but at the lines of reanimated guards corpses as they funneled out behind him. There were twenty-two guards reanimated. He delivered twenty-two rapid headshots to one and all - not one got back up.

Reaver smiled, "I know that gun... one of Sparrows, where did you get that?"

"The tavern he once owned in Bloodstone, named after this gun, 'the Perforator', it was above the bar. I bet the new owner that dogs could look up: I was right."


	6. Into the fray

Logan had managed to reach the front enterance to the castle, just behind the undead guards, so he was spared Finns volley of bullets.

Scrom had moved away from the door to engage a group of guards who had baracaded the door to the dinning hall with the table and were making a stand to distract Scrom fom Logan. They never saw the Balverine behind them; but the valiant stand they made bought him the time to escape to the open entry garden where Reaver and Finn were reloading from the fallen bodies of the undead guards.

"Here!," Finn shouted to him as Logan scrounged over a corpse.

"There are more men inside," Logan started, "good men, if we can retake the stairs, hold him off..."

"We can all die," Reaver finished.

"We can't just let him win Reggy!"

"We won't," Reaver insisted, "Mother I take it is fine?"

"Yes... fact is... He didn't touch her," Logan said in amazement.

"Thank Alvo," Benn said and finished loading the Perforator, "I'll go in for her, you two watch my back."

"Don't be a romantic idiot Finn, mothers out of your league, you won't impress her you'll...," Reaver laughed.

"It's not to impress her! It's to help give the people hope... it's for her daughter. I owe her, we all do!"

"If anyone can do it it's me," Reaver said with an air of cock-sure braggadocio

"She's my mother too Reggy! You both get bent!"

"It's not about skill, it's numbers! I've got a better chance, if I go in and you cover me. I've more rounds than your Dragon Stomper, and I don't like the look of that gash on your head Prince Logan."

"Save the ammo. She's fine, and he is as stupid as he is vain," Reaver said with a smile, "He thinks she'll cry herself to sleep forever, feed him, like I do. arrogant twit."

"hmm," Benn said with a smirk, "sounds vaguely familiar."

"Where is Liz's body now?"

"Mother has her... he let her take her."

"Still in one piece? Don't count her out."

"I saw her dead! Her body lifeless." Logan insisted, growing angry with his eldest brother.

"Intact?"

"Yes, but dead... damn it! Get to your point Reggy!"

"He wouldn't have missed a chance to turn her into a hollow man. He would want to dismember her, then use her mutilated body as an instrument of terror to spread fear. Waste not want not... that's his philosophy. He didn't decapitate her? didn't rip out her heart? No, he drained Elizabeth just to make mother twist in the wind. let her linger between life and death as a punishment. You don't know him like I do."

"I hope your right Reggy. Oh, by the way, speaking of mother... she's not exactly 'twisting' she's 'upset'."

"Oh Scrom," Reavers said as his smile widened, "You poor stupid, ego driven fuck."

Finn coughed back a laugh.

"What?" Reaver asked.

"Nothing, just thinking about kitchen ware, Something funny I heard about a pot and a kettle," Finn said

"Mother? A threat?"

"Thirty seven years ago a Balverine attacked her outside the Crucible during one of your fathers bouts when she'd left to 'freshen' herself up. The Beast ruined her dress; so she tore off its lower jaw in rage."

"How?," Finn asked.

"She used a trick involving leverage that she picked up from Thunder, one of her more 'consistent' Arena champion/lovers. THAT woman finds ways to get even no one sees coming, but alway regret."

"AHEM!" It was Lady Grey, standing a top the stairs leading to the castle. She was smirking, "Right... a trick - but it wasn't Thunder - it was that remarkably 'skilled' sister of his. My sweet little spell sword."

"Mother," Both Logan and Reaver gasped in astonishment.

"Oh grow up! Reggy your worse than me, and you need to get out more often Logan: smell more flowers, eat more fruits, sample more sweets, etc., etc., etc. Now, If we're all done prattling on, it would be nice if you got on with doing what I said Logan, and Reggy, take Mister Finn and his lovely friend Miss Page, and go get your rare flower. Tell her she'll need us if she doesn't help us."

"Mother," Reaver called as his mother turned to re-enter the castle, "About Elizabeth."

"I'll burn her name into his soul."

"Put the gauntlet on her, It'll help... trust me."

She turned and looked her first-born in the eyes as she turned back to the castle. "Your right Reggy... she earned it."

"More for you mother, you'll see. It'll give you something to believe in."

"Yes it will... revenge. Are you becoming heroic Reggy? Good we'll need it. And speaking of heroic... Mr. Finn? I've only known one man to be as proficient with that weapon...," she paused to keep her composure, "thank you for saving my son."

"Lady... I'm... "Finn was dumbstruck.

"Please, don't try to speak, you'll spoil it," She stepped to him and kissed his lips softly, then more enthusiastically, then she became heated: she caressed his face as she bated his tongue with her own between her soft, wet, full lips.

Benn was entranced, his hands hung limply at his sides.

Lady Grey wasn't so inanimate as she pressed her large, full, firm breasts against his body, and ran her long, eager fingers through his hair as her tongue explored his mouth.

Reaver and Logan waited as their mother finished.

She finally relented, "You have my thanks," she stated bluntly.

Finn found his voice as his heart pounded in his chest, "Anything you want, anytime, just say the word, I'll bring it: be I live or dead."

"Victory," she said plainly, and with that one word, she re-entered the castle.


	7. Family Heirlooms

They had left her alone as she gathered her daughter's body, and carried her to her fathers tomb. Lady Grey strapped the gauntlet her daughter had used to defeat the Crawler back on her hand, and kissed her daughter's hands, and found them warmer than she expected... she then dismissed the sensation she had experienced as a result of the time the body had lay in the sun.

She entered the tomb and closed the heavy door behind them, then ventured into the black, unafraid. "I know it's cold and dark where you are, believe me my darling baby girl I know, and I am only sad I will never be there with you again. But one day your children will be, perhaps soon."

The gauntlet suddenly glowed.

Lady Grey grinned from ear to ear, "Reggy, my dear genius boy, you knew. Come on Elizabeth, I'm taking you to the sanctuary. Yes, I know about it... where do you think you were conceived?"

She reached the two sarcophagi that held the Sparrow and... ."His dog. That's right darling, this huge stone edifice is for a crotch sniffer: it will never hold me, and I was his only queen, and had better have been his only wife; and his sister... well, she's not dead; so, yes, it holds his dog. Your father was very fond of that dog, and was also very odd - why I loved him, and always will... the selfish prick." She placed her daughter against the dog's sarcophagus and pushed open her husband's. "Wow, you stink darling!" She gasped as she rummaged over his corpse, "Where are they?," she grimaced as she lifted him up," Boy you are one heavy stiff fuck aren't you?" after a few moments she smiled wide, "ah here we go!" and pulled a beautifully crafted gold katana sword; and a monstrously huge, ugly blunderbus from the corpse. "Darling... this beautiful, rare sword is called the 'ME'... ok, no it's not, it is the 'Dachi', and this huge, ugly, clumsy, ungainly, loud, farting thing is called, 'your father, after a night in Bloodstone'; really, it is."

Elizabeth's eye's opened, barely, and turned to her mother.

"Hello darling," Lady Grey sighed as her tears came, then she regained herself, "Right... revenge, good, wholesome, family bonding revenge. I hope your brothers are doing as well as us."

From the depths of the underground escape passage came the unmistakable gutteral growl of a balverine.

Lady Grey looked at her daughter... and smiled, "I always thought that sanctuary could use a throw rug," then loaded the blunderbus, "Darling, get ready for the unmistakable song of this long, thick, manly beast... my favorite, well second favorite, of your father's guns: the Enforcer."


	8. BLACK JACK SPARROW

The journey by ship to Rose took three weeks, with one stop off in Aurora to resupply.

The place was arming to the teeth, from the ends of the docks to the temple. On every wall - in red - the words: 'NEVER AGAIN!'.

Logan ran up to the ship, dressed in desert fatigues, "the children are fine, no word out of Bowerstone; but word is Bloodstone is holding its own, remarkably."

"That's Katherine," Reaver said with a smirk, "Our sister is fierce. I can't even catch a break in that town anymore."

"About Aunt Rose," Logan began.

"Story starts boy meets rolled up, bloodstained carpet; carpet sprouts bullet riddled Rose; Rose kills crew, glows, floats, fascinates me; ten years later I de-flower her; twenty years later I lose four hundred men and my largest gunship to one man - a lone pirate, THE 'BLACK JACK' SPARROW , my son. He killed all of them... fair and square, with a single shot pistol: The Ebony Dragon - the one I left Rose. Its HIM I'm going to see."

"Is he as good as you?"

Reaver smirked, "I'm standing still by comparison - besides, he'll more than likely kill me."

Page grinned, "Thank you for bringing me."


	9. DADDY'S BOY

The place looked nothing like what they expected, it looked almost nauseatingly quaint, nothing like a sleaze ridden den of inequity one would expect of Reaver's grown son - Jack took after his mum.

A lovely farmland free of any sign of its owner's past. The fields were remarkably well-kept, with what seemed like miles of flowers in bloom; including a whole acre of rare black roses.

They had just crossed to the stables when they heard it, the Balverine.

It was dark grey, and the veins in its sinewy limbs... glowed sky-blue. Most disturbing, it's eye's held an almost whimsical look of calm: It could think, and worse.

Reaver emptied his Dragon Stomper, and almost fainted... he'd missed.

The balverine simply vanished, and reappeared in another place in the field, as if it had stood there all along, still striding confidently, as if a man having a leisurely stroll.

Finn and Reaver reloaded as quickly as possible. It wasn't fast enough... He was.

The balverine appeared in front of them, and made to gut them all; then it started twitching as bullets came one right after another, tearing it's skull apart in seconds.

They turned as one, hands raised, as the balverine's lifeless body sails across the field, a response to the first shot fired.

The gun is a single shot, fifty caliber pistol (yes, he's that fast) named in honor of his grandmother by the former gravedigger who designed and built it - before using it to kill himself - The Black Rose.

A visible stream of energy leapt from the balverine.

"Duck," Reaver said as the stream passed over their heads, and headed toward the tiny stable.

Page gasped at the sight of him as he strode from the stable, pushing the Black Rose into its holster.

Six five, twenty-nine inch waist, prettier than Reaver... The BLACK JACK Sparrow. "Stupid animal ruined my shot - you're lucky... REAVER."


	10. By Any Other Name

Reaver walked across the expanse of the field to retrieve his hat as Benn helped Page to her feet.

"Thank you," Finn said in genuine appreciation as Jack strode back into the stable to dump feed into the horses trough.

"For what? Killing a Balverine? I'll get twenty thousand for its unusual skin. But I have to ask. Why did you bring that disgusting creature on to my land?"

"It must have followed us, Balverines are cunning, and THAT one was, well terrifying." Page answered as she eyed Jack with increased adoration.

"I didn't say anything about the Balverine..."

"He ment me," Reaver said as he entered.

Jack hung his gun belt up and advanced on his father, "Oh you know me well DAD," he said and got nose to nose with him, "missed you at my last well, FIFTY birthdays. THANKS for the gun you left mum... Came in handy."

"you disrespectful little..." Reaver began.

Jack slapped him.

Reaver twitched to hit him back.

Jack slapped his father twice before Reaver could lift his hand.

Reaver seethed with rage.

Jack smirked at him.

Reaver reflexively reached for his gun, and found nothing, not even a holster.

Jack was wearing it.

Reaver glared at him.

"A little loose, getting fat and lazy father? Sure are slow."

Reaver reached for the gun.

Jack threw it into the air, caught it, spun it, cocked it and pressed it to his father's chin.

"Jack, don't waste the bullet. He deserves a slower end... or does he? Well my love?"

Jack holstered the gun.

"Thank you for the timely aid as always my lovely Rose."

The other two turned to see the legend, King Sparrow's cause for which he fought, his older sister.

She was radiant: her hair long, silken black; her face and curvaceous body that of a woman in her early twenties, despite the fact she was over eighty years old.

Benn Finn was speechless.

Page bowed her head in respect.

"I didn't want Jack messing the stable with your brains. The boy just want's a reason to do it. Like... KING SPARROW? Feel free to start whenever your ready... Reginald."

"OR go for the gun DAD," Jack taunted, and in a blur of a motion pulled the gun, spun it, and offered it to Reaver, butt first, "Please... for me?"


	11. HEROES

"HORSE SHITE!" Jack laughed as he finished listening to Reaver's explanation about why he never told his mother about her brother surviving Lucien's attempted murder of him, his defeat of the maniac, and Sparrow's subsequent rise to the throne of Albion.

"Really," Reaver responded, "I still had a plethora of enemy's to protect her from."

"A PLETHORA?!" Jack roared, and almost seized from laughing, "OH DON'T!, PLEASE! don't try to push another word like that out of your lying rectum of a mouth, father, you'll throw your spineless back out!"

Reaver pulled his hat over his enraged eyes, and muttered under his breath as Benn Finn and Page laughed openly.

Rose warmly took his arm, "Now, now Jack be nice, your father has traveled a remarkably far distance that he has only done once before in seventy years to see us. This is a wonderful surprise, and I have one for you darling. My lover," she said softly, "I have wonderful news as well... besides being a lying sack of shite, and a gutless coward, you are something else... a grandfather. Twins: a boy, and a girl."

"OH SILLY ME!," Jack continued on his jubilant barrage, "DID I FORGET MY KIDS?! WHERE DID I PICK UP THAT TENDENCY?!"

"There are four of you?" Page asked in awe.

"You mean to help with defeating the tall, dark, shadowy murderous fellow? SCROM?" Jack asked.

"How do you know...?" Benn Finn asked.

"Mr. Balverine Man," Jack said bluntly, "family trait... mum's side of the family. I get to know everything from skill's to what the blighter had for breakfast when he was three years old and all else in between. THIS poor fuck was a will user caught unawares in the Castle. By the way dad, gran looks spectacular for a woman who was torn to pieces and dead for almost six hundred years."

Reaver was quiet.

"Good, I like it when you say something intelligent... in other words... nothing" Jack hissed, then turned to Finn and Page, "The kids are who you need; but not both, mum would kill me, and she can - unlike Reaver... right dad? I digress. The kids have a 'gift' they can be very 'empathetic'; they get it from their mum, Garth's daughter... you know Garth right? Anyway, they are why mum is so young, and this rancid swampland Dad left us in is so plentiful. And here they are."

The two kids are spitting images of their father, with the exception that they have their mother's flawless golden complexions. A golden little puppy runs about joyously as the two practice shooting, knife throwing and melee combat.

"They heard you were around," Jack said with a smirk to his father, "Oh, and I forgot, see that dog? it died before they were born - of old age. Little thing, raising the dead to renewed vigour. The reason you need THEM. Scrom uses dead things, they feed his army, They can subtract from it. It costs them some experience, but look at that mutt, doesn't even shite on the rug anymore... unlike dad. Now, take your pick, and your leave before this Scrom get's too busy to stop. I'll go to Aurora to help my uncle with the defenses there. I recommend you make your first stop at Bloodstone... if that is a real town... The balverine had a weapon's shop there, a good one, and there is a relation near by; not your Sister Reaver... My ancestor, Chicken Chaser's wife - SAPHIRE. Bringing her back will give us an edge. Wear Scrom's forces down, help us shore up Bloodstone, make it damn near impregnable. Also, anything she does will earn the kid experience, and will effect his nature based on her nature, good or evil."

"Your kidding," Page said breathless," THE SAPHIRE?"

"Yes lovely Page," Jack said smoothly, "the will user was obsessed with her. He left offerings at her tomb. There is another reason you need her, she is the only one who can take you to Chicken Chaser's tomb, and from there," he turned to his father, "enter Wraithmarsh... and kick Scrom where it counts; right your greatest wrong father; the three of them will milk the place of all the experience they can, then restore the village and people... of Oakvale. Now, make your choice, and let's get to it. I'm anxious to kill my father by 'accident' - Sorry dad, just kidding. You believe me... Right?"


	12. Bloodstone

The place was alive with activity, and an almost relentless flow of undead and shadow creatures turning to ash as they tried to cross over a trail of burning coals and drizzling oil being sprayed on them from a pressure cannon atop a warehouse abutting Reaver's old mansion.

Ben finn sprung from the ship and helped Paige down carefully. She gazed in his eyes as she stepped upon the stone of the wharf and smiled sweetly, "Thank you," she sighed as her hand lingered in his.

"Anything for a lady," Finn sighed and kissed her wrist gallantly. The two had become quite close over the months they were traveling together, and had recently begun sharing a cabin, and as they neared Albion shores, a bunk.

Reaver strode up on the deck, gazed at the two, and smirked, "PLEASE you two... at least I can sleep now... without you two 'rocking the boat'."

His grandson, Michael, stepped up behind him, pulled out a pair of pistols and started blasting the undead who had yet To be incinerated, the waves of energy from them all but knocking him off the deck.

"IS THAT MY NEPHEW WAISTING AMMUNITION USELESSLY?!" A woman's near hysterical voice shrieked from the end of the dock.

Reaver turned and walked to the figure of a woman in her forty's dashing down to the ship, three heavily armed men in tow. "Katherine," he chimed charmingly.

His sister hit him across the jaw hard enough to sway his head back, "YOU STUPID PRIG!," she screamed, "DON'T TELL ME YOU HAD A HOLE THE SIZE OF A SCHOONER IN YOUR SELLAR? I WENT DOWN THERE TO GET SUPPLIES AND HIDE PEOPLE WHEN THIS BLIGHT FELL ON US... AND GUESS FUCKING WHAT!?"

"I like her already," Paige sighed contentedly.

"What are you talking about!?" Reaver responded anxiously.

"WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT!?" his sister drew within an inch of him, "I get it," she fumed, "That house is like a lover to you: used, discarded, forgotten... THE HOLE IN THE REAR PASSAGE, YOU TWIT! I WENT DOWN THERE WITH TWENTY MEN WOMEN AND CHILDREN, AND THE BLIGHTERS CAME OUT OF THE WOODWORK! FROM HALFWAY UP THE FUCKING STREET!"

"you took care of it though... obviously."

"YES, AT THE LOSS OF THIRTY TWO HUMAN LIVES! NONE OF THE KIDS...thank Alvo. BUT A 'HEADS UP' WOULDN'T HAVE HURT! Now come on... let's go find this tomb of yours. Good move sending that will user ahead. We have good news - Our sister's alive; Liz made it, she and mum are holed up in Liz's old hunting lodge near the Dweller's camp... they're doing fine, but Liz is weak. We can't get to her without a cullis gate; and the only one I know of is in Wraithmarsh - and that place is all but inaccessible now.

"Not for long," Ben said and pat Micheal on the back, "Let's go wake a hero."


End file.
